A couple of days ago NASA decided to release the iconic 1974 guide by designers Richard Danne and Bruce Blackburn. The iconic “Worm” logo and the graphic system was rescinded by NASA in 1992.

Why release the PDF now? It may have a connection to designers Jesse Reed and Hamish Smyth who are reproducing this wonderful piece of graphic design manual in 2015. They bootstrapped it over on Kickstarter with an enourmous success. This is what they have to say:

As design nerds, we think the Worm is almost perfect, and the system behind it is a wonderful example of modernist design and thinking.

But for everyone, we think the Worm and its design system represent an agency whose goal is to explore space and push the boundaries of science. Where the Meatball feels cartoon-like and old fashioned; the worm feels sleek, futuristic, forward-thinking. All good things for a space agency at the bleeding-edge of science and exploration.